The dazzling sun and the passionate country of Spain.
Summer had passed, a summer hotter than usual with the massive transfer movements of many football stars. Now, autumn had truly begun.
And with the passing of a single cool breeze that cooled the sweat, it was already October.
Though the temperature had dropped significantly, the start of the Champions League had made the atmosphere even hotter than summer.
It was the same for La Liga.
The long-standing two-horse race in Spain's top division had started to crack.
Barcelona's current state, in particular, was far from ordinary.
Just two years ago, they were champions. But as of early October, they had recorded only 1 win, 2 draws, and 3 losses, marking their worst start in years.
Though the season was still in its early stages, the more serious problem was the uncertainty surrounding their future.
There were a few reasons behind this.
First, their new signings for the season, Gabriel Heinze and Éric Abidal, were struggling to adapt.
Second was the decline of Ronaldinho, the superstar who had carried Barcelona on his back.
Just last year, he had been in his prime. But despite being only 27, his skills had clearly begun to fade.
It was the downfall of the world's best footballer.
Ironically, it was Thierry Henry, showing his veteran grit, who was now carrying the team.
Real Madrid was experiencing a similar yet opposite phenomenon.
Their veteran players were leading the charge, powering them to six consecutive wins.
They had held the top spot since the season began, and had recently pulled ahead of Atlético Madrid to stand alone at the top of the table.
This was thanks to the brilliant performances of 35-year-old Zidane, 34-year-old Roberto Carlos, 31-year-old Ruud van Nistelrooy, and 30-year-old Raúl.
Of course, they were often mocked as a "retirement home" due to their aging squad, but Robinho, Robben, and Sneijder were stepping up and laying a bright foundation for the club's future.
Thanks to these favorable developments, Pérez's approval ratings continued to soar.
And along with that, things were going well for Ho-young too.
He had started in 6 of the last 7 matches and had been named official Man of the Match four times.
Though the physical toll was gradually building, he was managing to hold on.
His experience in the brutal Brazilian league had helped him a lot.
Moreover, since the reserve team was not eligible to participate in the Copa del Rey, Castilla only had to focus on their Segunda División schedule.
That meant Ho-young could fully concentrate on the league.
As a result, he had scored 7 goals and provided 4 assists in 6 matches, soaring to the top of the scoring chart.
Castilla had exceeded expectations, sitting 2nd in the league with 4 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss in 7 matches.
But it wasn't all sunshine.
Since entering his final year of middle school in September, Ho-young had been facing difficulties balancing his increasing academic responsibilities.
Academic achievement might not mean much in football, but in Spain, it mattered.
Players under 16 were not allowed to register as professionals unless they were formally attending school.
This was the Spanish Football Association's stance to prevent the development of "half-baked" players who only knew football. Unlike Messi, who attended school, Cristiano Ronaldo was known to have only completed elementary school for that reason.
According to Ronaldo, "When my elementary teacher was rude to me, I threw a chair at her. Then I got expelled." That incident was rumored to be the reason he started focusing solely on football.
In any case, Ho-young still had two more years of school to complete.
If he wanted to go to university, he could do that after retiring from professional football.
In fact, many players did just that.
Many began their second football careers by studying coaching at sports-related departments in universities in England, Germany, or Spain.
In mid-October, there was an away match against Elche CF, who were 7th in the league.
The match was made difficult due to a sudden downpour, but Castilla showed steadily improving teamwork and earned a 1-1 draw.
The following week, they faced Gimnàstic de Tarragona, the weakest team in the league, and had a relatively easy game.
Since it was a home match, Castilla rode the wave of passionate support and secured a dominant 7-1 victory.
Ho-young scored 2 goals and provided 2 assists that day, earning Man of the Match honors and praise from various Spanish media outlets.
He even received a perfect 3-point rating from Marca and was featured in Korean media.
Although they lost the following away match against Granada 74 CF, Castilla still managed to maintain 2nd place in the league with 5 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses.
Ho-young's popularity was skyrocketing. He was receiving 20 to 30 fan letters a day.
Though there were occasionally negative letters, the real issue was that he didn't even have time to read them.
The real trouble came in November.
Castilla faced a difficult run of matches against Málaga CF, Sporting Gijón, and CD Numancia, all considered strong promotion contenders before the season began.
It might have been manageable if only one player on those teams was good. But they had multiple quality players and solid team chemistry, making them very difficult to face.
Their squad values were over ten times that of Castilla's. It was like trying to crack a rock with an egg.
Still, Ho-young made the most of the opportunity by analyzing the talents of the opposing players and learning from them.
The team finished November with 1 win, 1 draw, and 2 losses, dropping to 6th place.
And then came December.
Winter had truly arrived.
Though Spain was known to be warm thanks to the Mediterranean sun, winter was still winter.
One day, the temperature even dropped to minus 4 degrees Celsius, bringing a cold wave.
But it didn't affect Castilla's players much.
In fact, as the league entered its middle stages, the competition heated up even more.
As a result, Castilla climbed to 4th place after just two matches.
The key would be the match scheduled for December 23rd against Barcelona B.
This match wasn't just about points, but pride.
With the growing rivalry between both clubs' prospects, it was expected to be an intense showdown.
In short, it was Ho-young versus Bojan Krkić.
Castilla's staff had been preparing for the match weeks in advance.
They conducted detailed and precise video analysis.
Barcelona B's team identity, Pep Guardiola's tactics, and more.
They collected all kinds of data and prepared thoroughly.
Now, it was up to the players.
In the underground audiovisual room at Valdebebas.
Coach Mandía was in the middle of explaining the upcoming match.
"Barcelona B is much easier to face than the top teams we played last month, like Numancia, Málaga, and Sporting Gijón. Their average age and physicality are similar to ours, and their experience level is about the same. There's no need to play defensive or go in with our heads down."
However, there was one thing to be cautious about, and Mandía continued.
"As you all know, the player on the screen is Bojan Krkić. Right-footed striker. Some of you already played against him last year. Miguel, how was he?"
"I hate to admit it, but his skill is really something else."
Bojan Krkić.
Barcelona's mega-prospect who had scored around 900 goals over the past 7 years.
Especially two years ago, he had formed a fantastic partnership with Giovani dos Santos and led the team to promotion to the Segunda División.
This season, he was battling Ho-young for 3rd and 4th place in the league's scoring charts.
For Ho-young, this was a match he couldn't afford to lose.
He needed to win against Barcelona to unlock Ronaldo's talent.
Ho-young's fighting spirit burned within him in that audiovisual room.
At the same time, at FC Barcelona's Ciutat Esportiva training ground, the Barcelona B players were running around chaotically.
One man stood out in particular.
"Are you a machine? Do you think you're doing your job properly moving so statically? Move like an organism. You're not supposed to be stuck in a fixed role. You're not a baseball player. A pitcher throws the ball, but midfielders need to throw, receive, intercept, score, defend, roll, and play with the ball. The same goes for you. Just because you're a goalkeeper doesn't mean all you do is stop shots. Look at the players on the field. When you take a goal kick, place the ball in the center. That's the basic for build-up play, isn't it?"
Coach Guardiola was going from player to player, criticizing each one he found lacking, almost like he was harassing them.
He looked like a madman.
"Hey, volante! How many times do I have to tell you to build a connection with the stopper? If there's no link, the football dies."
This was a daily occurrence during training.
It was called "Pep Mode"—when Guardiola would inject his unique football philosophy into the players, no matter how confusing it sounded.
It looked chaotic, but each of the players' movements reflected Pep's tactical details, which came together to form one perfect organism.
The problem was, most players couldn't fully grasp it yet.
It was essentially rote learning.
"You!"
Guardiola spotted something he didn't like and immediately ran over to grab a player.
"You lost the ball, and then what? Don't just stand there. How many times have I told you the ball must be won back within seven seconds to maintain flow?"
"…Understood."
The player turned away with a scowl on his face.
'That lunatic's at it again.'
To the players, Guardiola wasn't a coach. He was closer to a madman.
The funny thing was, they all still followed his words obediently.
"You, run over there."
"Yes."
"Hey! Stop!"
"Huh?"
"Are you a car? I told you to run. When did I say run in a straight line? The defenders aren't idiots. Move like a living being."
"…Got it."
It was a sight rarely seen at other training grounds.
Normally, such commands would be met with "Why do I have to do that?" But these players were different.
These top prospects followed Guardiola's instructions like elementary school students, running around without clear understanding or purpose.
It was like a strictly controlled elementary school.
It made sense. Guardiola would one day earn the nickname "football pervert."
He was a perfectionist who measured grass length and even micromanaged the ball boys during home matches.
If he ever took a medical exam, he'd probably be diagnosed with extreme paranoia.
Completely opposite of his rugged appearance.
But his results spoke for themselves.
Despite the twists and turns surrounding his appointment as Barcelona B's manager, he had produced strong results and exceeded expectations.
He had earned the trust of President Laporta more than anyone else at the club.
The only issue was that he hadn't yet gained full trust from the players.
Still, there was one player who fully understood what Guardiola was saying.
"I believe in you."
The team's anchor, a defensive midfielder.
He would go on to become the best defensive midfielder in the world and was the only one capable of stopping Ho-young.
"If Ho-young runs to the right, you move forward, back, left, and right. Got it?"
"Yes."
"And if he goes left?"
"I move forward, back, left, and right."
"Good. Run."
"Yes!"
And so, the special training continued.
December 23rd.
The grand showdown was just around the corner.
(To be continued.)